smith



H. C. SMITH. 2 sheets-sheen 1. MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR SGUTGHING 0R' SBPARATING, WASHING,

AND'PLANTS.

(NoModel.)

DRYING, ANI) BLEAGHING THE EIBERS 0E FIBER BEARING LEAVES (No Model.) HlY Cl SMITH 2 Sheets-,Sheet 2. MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR SCUTCHING OR SEPARATING, WASHING,

DRYINGU AND BLEAGHING THE FIBERS OF FIBER BEARING LEAVES AND PLANTS.

Patented Aug. 7, 1888.

E UNrrEE ,Terres RrENr HENRY o. sturm or RICHMOND, ooUNfrY or sURREY, ENGLAND.

MACHINERY AND APPARATUS FOR SCUTCHING OR SEPARATING, WASHING, DRYING, AND BLEACHING THE FIBERS F FIBER-BEARING LEAVES AND PLANTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.V 82,788, dated August 7, 1883.

Application tiled February 13,1853. (No model.) Patented in England November 6, 1882, No. 5,297. v

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY CHARLES SMITH,

a citizen of England, residing at Richmond,

lowing is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in machinery or apparatus for more effectually and expeditiously removing the glutinous or .pulpy matter from the bers contained in the leaves or stalks of the aloe, pine-apple, Phormz'ma tenant', (or New Zealand flaX,) and other ber-bearing leaves and stalks, and at the same time washing and bleaching, or washing or `bleaching and dryingdthe said bers, thereby preventing their discoloration by the action thereon of the acrid or acid matter of the said pulp.

The said improved machineor apparatus not only accomplishes the before-mentioned operations in a more complete and perfect manner and with greater economy of time and labor than machines in ordinary use; but it can be advantageously and efciently applied to the scutching of those classes of aloes or other ber-bearing plants which, owi ng to their acrid nature, cannot practically be treated in the scutching-machines hitherto employed.

In my improved machine I combine with scutchers or beaters and a feed table or plate (made adjustable or not, as preferred) one or more water-jet pipes supplied in any convenie'nt manner with hot or cold water; or, if required, with any suitable or well-known bleaching liquor or solution, the said jet pipe o r pipes being so placed with reference to the feed table or plate and the scutchers or beaters as to direct one or more powerful jets of water orbleaching-liquor, as the case may be, through the bers at the same time that they are being scutched, a current of air generated by the motion of the beaters themselves, or by a separate fan or blower, being also at the same time directed through the upper part of the bers for the purpose of rapidly drying the same as fast as they are drawn back over the feedtable. I am thus enabled to scutch or remove the pulpy matter from the bers of the leaves or stalks, and to wash and bleach, or wash or bleach, the separated bers at one operation, inllieu of rst scutchiug the fibers and then subjecting them to separate operations of washing, wringing, bleaching, and drying.

In working my machine I drive the scutcher at a high speed, or I employ a fan or blower in combination therewith, so as at the l,same time to generate a current of air sufciently powerful to drive or force the bers into or through the before-mentioned jet or jets of hot or cold water or bleaching-liquor, which are caused to play upon the ber and scutchers or beaters, thereby thoroughly removing or washing away all the glutinous matter from the bers as fast as they are passed through the machine, while at the same time the scutchers or beaters are also kept perfectly free from the destructive effects of the acrid 'matter upon the metal. rEhe before-'mentioned jet or jets of water or bleaching-liquor may be so applied as not only to wash the ber, but in some cases to act also as a cushion or yielding backing to the ber for maintaining it in longer contact with the scutcher.

The apparatus or machine may be constructed in various ways; but it is essential that special jet-pipes and cocks be employed in combination with the scutchers or beaters, so as to supply the requisite jet or jets of water for acting on the ber while it is being scutched.

I attain the before-mentioned several objects by the machinery or apparatus'illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l isa side elevation and partial section of my improved machine. Fig. 2 isacorresponding front view of the same. Fig. 8 is a detail plan of the feed table or plate, Awithits jet-pipe attached, drawn to alarger Iscale. Fig. 4 is a corresponding transverse section of the same; and Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged details of a portion of the scutching-drum and'one of its beaters.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A A are the cast-iron or other standards of the machine.

B B are plummer-blocks carrying the journals of the shaft C, on which is mounted the soutching drum D, provided with lsuitable beaters, E E, round its circumference.

F is the driving-pulley by which, or by suitable gearing, a rapid rotary motion is imparted to the drum.

Gis the feed table or plate, across which the leaves to be scutched are fed toward the beaters by the attendant, and drawn back as they are scutched. This feed-table may either be xed or adjustable 5 but I prefer to make it adjustable both in a vertical and in a horizontal'direction, as shown in my drawings, so as to be enabled to regulate or adjust the position of its front curved edge, a, with reference to the beaters. For this purpose the table, which may be of cast-iron, is formed with flanges or lugs b b at each end, resting upon vertically-sliding adjustable supports c c, inside the standards, acted upon by elevatingscrews d d. The horizontal adjustment toward or from the beaters may be effected by the adjusting-screws e e, carried in lugs j on the vertical sliding supports c; and working through a lug or web, g, at each end of the table h, is a screw passing through a slot in each lug b, and provided with a tighteningnut for xing the table in its adjusted position. At any convenient distance below the front edge of the table or feed-plate I mount, in suitable holders, i, attached to the table, or otherwise tted, one or more water-j et pipes, H. (Shown more clearlyin Figs. 3 and 4.) This pipe is perforated or formed with a ne slit along its side next to the beaters, and may be supplied with water or with bleaching-liquor under pressure in any convenient manner through the branch k,the ends of the perforated pipe being closed by removable screw ed caps Z Z for the convenience of cleaning out the pipe. The holders i of the said jet-pipe are by preference split, as shown in Fig. 4, so that while gripping the jet-pipe the latter may be free to be turned or adjusted to the best position for the effective action of the liquid jet or jets on the bers.

In using this machine the attendant gradually brings the thick end of the leaf up to the beaters by moving it forward over the table as fast as the pulpy matter is removed by the beaters and the bers become exposed. Simultaneously with this operation any gummy or pulpy acrid matters which may still be adhering to the bers, and which will, if a1- lowed to remain, inevitably diseolor and injure the bers,is effectuallywashed away by the acti on of the water-j ets on the bers,the said bers being rapidly dried by the passage through them, above the water-j ets, of a current of air generated by the revolving beaters themselves, or by a special fan or blower worked by the machine. These jets of washing or bleaching liquor may be directed through the bers either from the outer side inward toward the drum, or vice versa; but Iprefer the former arrangement, as the force of the jet or jets then serves as a yielding backing for holding the hanging or free ends ,of the bers gently up to the beaters, and thus keeping them longer under their action.

I is a tank or cistern for receiving the refuse matter removed by the beaters, along with the surplus water or liquor used in washing or bleaching the said beis.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. The combination of the stationary table G, a revolving drum arranged opposite said table and carrying beaters E, and a pipe, H, receiving water under pressure, with perforations arranged to expel forcible jets of water against the bers hanging over the table, and

to thereby carry them toward the drum, sub- 

